A Small Valentine's Catastrohe
by Kinshara
Summary: Never made any chocolate for you beloved ones before? And it really should get perfect if it's for you superior, right? A small One-Shot for Valentine's Day. Captain Smoker x Blanche


**14th February**

**A small Valentine's Catastrophe**

* * *

The hard snow audibly cracked under her boots as the dark-haired female took off, behind the two persons she considered as friends. And of course they were such a nice pack of friends that they had _not _waited for her.

Well, sure, she had dropped her sword a few times and as she had run into this old lady... her dropped food wouldn't pick itself up again and besides, who would not help an older woman when you ran into her? And then the blacksmith had tried to get her into a talk and she had _tried_ to resist, but in the end...

The normal ten minutes of lateness her captain gave her usually hadn't been enough today. And somehow she just knew that he wouldn't be too thrilled this time. Besides her friend, an Ensign would be pissed, she had promised to not be late, because most times when she was, the captain would give Blanche a stern lecture about punctuality. Even though it wasn't her fault.

For once the marine lieutenant was grateful for her glasses as the snowflakes just recoiled from it and granted her a half-way good vision. And finally the two figures of a tall man and the dainty Blanche came in sight.

"Blanche, Captain Smoker! Wait for me!" Lieutenant Tashigi took after her two fellows with quick steps, her sword tightly in her grip. The white-haired girl turned as she heard her name while the man next to her just grumbled something.

"Lieutenant! Wait, what are you doing?!" Blanche scrambled to get away as she saw her superior slip on one of the many subsurface ice plates and slide with all the speed she had put into her run at herself.

But she barely could dodge or jump away, the street covered with a thick coat of snow was slippery and as she caught her balance, she could just watch as her superior skidded closer until she was just inches in front of her feet. Blanche closed her eyes, waiting for the crash that would rip her from her feet. A hand grabbed her collar and yanked her into the air and her eyes flew open at the rough movement that came just in time.

"Captain!", she exclaimed as she found herself hanging in his grip like a cub grabbed on the neck. His other arm had transformed into smoke and they watched the lieutenant as she groaned and picked herself up from the pillow of smoke that had stopped her glissade.

Tashigi grabbed her sword and stood up, shaking and pushing the snow off her clothes, before she adjusted her glasses and bowed quickly as she found her captain glaring at her.

"I- I'm so sorry, Sir, but the smith tried to talk me into buying another sword and then there was this lady and I couldn't just let her-"

"Just don't be late again, Tashigi." Without another word he set Blanche back down onto her feet and continued his stroll as though nothing had interrupted it. "In a bad mood today, isn't he?"

Tashigi shook the remaining snow off her coat and her friend helped her. "Yes, he hasn't talked to me yet."

"What, not even once the whole day?" Blanche shook her head and bit her lip as she waited for her lieutenant to finish cleaning up. "You know, maybe I shouldn't expect him to do anything..."

Tashigi turned to her friend and smiled sympathetically as she saw her averted eyes and her hands that clutched her scarf so hard that they shook. Blanche first simply had admired Captain Smoker for his strength, his calmness and his sense for justice. She hadn't even been the only one in the Loguetown base. But this feelings had developed into something greater than that.

Blanche couldn't quite say why, it maybe had been the long time since she worked as his subordinate, his character, also that he seemed to have taken a liking to her since her work was always well done and he never heard so much as a complain from the white-head.

And she had been able with it quite long, well until Tashigi herself found out. The lieutenant had found her in the dining room, Blanche deep in daydreams and staring at the captain's back, smiling like an idiot and blushing whenever he looked at her.

She had often hoped he'd notice the subtle changes she did for him, like her new hair-doing. She had once tried to keep up a widened cleavage, but it had only resulted in several males but him to try to ask her out.

Maybe it had been too much cleavage. Or Smoker was too prude. And it had resulted in Blanche being lovesick, like a teenager filled with hormones. She hated to think of herself being immature, but it hurt.

And for more than two weeks he had kept up a very bad mood resulting in mostly ignoring Blanche and Tashigi, even his whole squad and sometimes he took strolls deep in the night, only to come back, snow-covered and dead tired in the mornings. Captain was behaving weird and it didn't help Blanche.

"Come on, don't give up yet. I know he's weird and moody." Tashigi patted her friend's back, but in Blanche's eyes built up tears as she looked up to her lieutenant. She was a runaway, too insecure and with too much respect of Captain Smoker.

"Do you think it's too late to exchange to Captain Hina's squad?", she quietly asked as her first tears run down her cheek, but Tashigi tackled her and hugged her tightly.

"Don't you dare just run away! Do you want me to get all lonely?", she exclaimed and grinned as she let Blanche go and saw a small smile back on her face. And then she got the idea.

"Blanche, do you know what day's tomorrow?" The Ensign shook her head and wiped the salty droplets out of her face.

"It's Valentine's day! And I know what you'll do tomorrow!" Blanche's eyes widened and she lifted her hands in defense of the lieutenant's enthusiasm. "You'll simply get him chocolate! It's the easiest way and maybe also idiot-proof.

Because then he'll know that you like him and you don't even have to look at him, just put it into his room or something. And I have a reliable source that captain Smoker is no dispraiser of chocolate."

Blanche's face had again turned a soft pink as she considered the idea. If he hated it and her, she could still ask captain Hina, right? It would hurt if he did, but she knew that going on like this was no nice way either. She would finally know what he thought.

"Blanche, Tashigi! I do not have any more time to keep up with your chats!" Tashigi flinched as she heard Smoker's voice from far through the snow and all, and he did not sound pleased. For how long had they stopped here?

"We're coming, Captain!", she called back and pulled Blanche with her, both trying hard not to slip once more and determined to not displease the male again today. They caught up to him on the great plaza where Gol D. Roger had died, he leaned against a building, smoking his two cigars like always. He hadn't come very far, either he had walked very slowly or he waited for quite a time now.

He pushed himself off the wall and walked up to the two panting girls to continue the stroll trough the old city to make sure everything was okay. Blanche paced to his right and he looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Something was off. Tashigi held her gloved hand, a determined expression on her face while the Ensign herself chose to regard her shoes instead.

"What's with your eyes?" His gruff question made her snap back to pay attention, but still she avoided any eye contact with him. She knew her eyes had to be reddened or something. Just that he had noticed it made her wonder.

"I got snow into them.", she mumbled and tightened her grip on Tashigi's hand. She had noticed since she squeezed back.

"Yes, captain, I accidentally tripped and pushed her into the snow." Smoker frowned, something really was off with these two today. It made him even more suspicious as they began to whisper. But despite all of his efforts to hear, the wind destroyed even the few words he could have managed to catch.

He looked up into the sky, not bothering with the flakes that hit his face. It was difficult to just see the next few houses in his blizzard. It was not really one, but it would soon develop into a snow storm. The sky was completely covered with snow promising gray-white clouds.

"Tashigi, Blanche. We'll stop here and go back unless you want to end up as snow men. The snow fall gets too heavy." Tashigi bumped into her friend as she stopped and watched her captain turn around and start to walk off.

"And... should I go and buy the chocolate... now?" Blanche looked back at her friend as Smoker was too far to hear.

"No, didn't you hear? You'll end up freezing to death if you stay out here, we'll just get it tomorrow. Lunch break, okay?" Tashigi gave her an encouraging smile and gently pushed her forward to not get frozen on the very spot. Besides Captain was again out of sight, lost somewhere in the snow chaos.

"Captain, wait!" The swords woman began to run after her superior, pulling the Ensign with her. Smoker was not in the mood to wait today, obviously.

* * *

"Here, I got you that fruity stuff you love so much." Blanche plopped down onto the seat next to Tashigi and shoved the evening's dessert, fruit 'n' cream, or however the cooks named it, to the lieutenant. Tashigi's dark eyes instantly shone.

"Oh, thank you! You can not imagine how much I love this stuff!", she exclaimed and abandoned her salad in exchange for the dessert.

"Oh trust me, I can, indeed." Blanche laughed as the dark-haired woman dove into the cream. A muffin was all she had taken for herself. She was more of the chocolate-type. Chocolate... Blanche hummed as she unpacked the delicious small cupcake.

The next day she would know more than today. She glanced shortly at the captain's form on the next table. Did he really like chocolate? He didn't really look like a lover of the sweet stuff.

But then, how did a chocolate-lover look like? Not like Smoker, she decided and bit into the muffin. Then she glared at the content of the small cake. Blueberries? That was not what she had wanted.

Blanche just tried to decide whether she'd eat it or not as two women plopped down on their table.

"Hey, Ensign, Lieutenant? Had a good day?", the blonde one, Kira, asked as she began to molest her food with the fork.

"Yeah, I guess.", Blanche replied and Tashigi nodded. It was normal for those four to group up occasionally since they sadly were the only females in the whole squad at Loguetown. But however they weren't that good friends, so the titles stayed.

"And?" The red-haired woman, Mari, had stopped eating, her elbows resting on the table as she watched the two superiors with a dead-serious expression.

"And what?", Tashigi asked and Kira nearly choked on her food.

"Well, who will you give chocolate tomorrow? Remember, Valentine's Day?" Mari looked downright surprised that they hadn't caught the question, but she quickly recovered as the Ensign blushed lightly.

"Oh, Ensign, who is it? You got to tell us!", Mari demanded excitedly and even though Blanche tried to resist, she let her eyes shortly wander to Captain Smoker.

"Uh, no one actually...", she replied instead as she noticed the two women still watching her with great interest and curiosity. "But that's impossible!", Kira insisted and her friend nodded. "There's got to be someone, tell us, we won't speak of it to anyone!"

"Yes, we wouldn't dare to demolish the surprise! Or does he already know?" The two were getting closer, bending over the table towards Blanche, ignoring their food for the moment. A short moment the Ensign wavered, but she just couldn't tell them. She knew as well as Tashigi that they loved chatting and blasphemy.

"No, it's really nobody.", she nervously laughed and Mari and Kira sighed crestfallen. "No romance here... but what's with you, Lieutenant? Anyone you like? Is it Captain Smoker?"

It was Tashigi's turn to nearly choke on her fruits and Blanche patted her back with red cheeks to help her as she coughed. "N-no, not really!", she exclaimed halfway coughing and the two marine women giggled.

"It's all serious, no captain Smoker suggestions. Right?" Mari pouted. "We just thought, since you're always supervising the city and all. But okay, no love here either. You're boring, Ensign, Lieutenant.

Such pretty women should all have someone they care for. I certainly will give my chocolate to my one and only love. Just today I stood almost three hours in the kitchen for the chocolate and all I have as a result are two small hearts. But he'll love it, I'm so sure!"

Blanche blinked and shoved the plate with the blueberry muffin aside. "Huh, you made the chocolate yourself?", she asked confused and shared a look with Tashigi who just shrugged.

"Well, of course! Don't you know that all Valentine chocolate should be self-made? Just girl who don't mean it seriously with the guy buy them in a store for cheap money. Self-made chocolate expresses the love for your Valentine, because after all you worked hard on it and if it's no good, the chocolate I mean, it's still okay since you packed your time and love into making it!"

Blanche fidgeted on her seat and her white brows furrowed into a small frown. She couldn't make chocolate, how even so? It wasn't like she had a cacao in her garden. She didn't even have a garden!

"But how do you make it?", she asked and Kira pursed her lips. "Well, Ensign, why would you want to know so severely the secrets f chocolate making? I mean, it's not like there's somebody you'll give it to." Blanche stared at the muffin.

"Uh, I just wanted to know, because Tashigi and I, we wondered how to do it long ago. And since she's such a chocolate-fanatic..." It was a lie, a blunt one, too. Tashigi frowned at her with an expression trying to say 'leave me out of this', but Blanche just smiled apologetically.

"It's easy actually, you're melting the chocolate and put a few things into it like... I don't know, cream, nuts and stuff like this. You know, just to make your chocolate unique. And then you pour it into a heart-shaped form. And voilà! It's perfect for Valentine's day!"

Tashigi and Blanche shared a look. It sounded easy, right? Almost too easy to be true.

* * *

Blanche had barely been able to sleep. She was a nervous wreck, her hands shook and dark circles surrounded her eyes. She looked like a panda bear, with her white hair and the signs of not enough sleep.

It was already lunchtime, but she couldn't eat, not with the knowledge that today anything would change. She wouldn't chicken out of this action. Tashigi too just poked in her food, sometimes taking a small bite, but the main time she tried to calm her friend's nerves.

"I don't think I can do that, Tashigi...", she murmured and the lieutenant patted her back.

"You can, I know. Don't you want to know what he thinks of you?" Blanche let her forehead rest on the table and sighed shakily.

"I feel queasy."

"That's because you haven't eaten yet, you stupid girl! Here, take a bite." Tashigi shoved a slice of bread to her and hesitantly she gnawed on it. "Come, we'll get going now."

Blanche stood up with her food and sneaked after her friend like a zombie. And she felt like one, too. They made it out into the snow storm outside and huddled close to not get lost and cold. Luckily there were just few shops that would sell sweets so they wouldn't have to search whole Loguetown.

The two women hurried trough the lonely streets and as they reached the grocery store, their coats were powdered white. An old lady stood behind the counter and as they entered, shaking and nearly covered with snow, she smiled commiserative.

"Oh, my dear ones, what are you doing out there in this blizzard? You must be freezing, come on in, it's warm.", she called them over. Tashigi pulled her friend to the counter and the old shop woman regarded them sharply.

"Aren't you the one who helped me yesterday? Little Smoker's fellow?", she addressed the lieutenant and Tashigi gasped. "Oh, yes, it's true! Did you have a good way home?" The woman nodded.

"So, can I help you with something? What would you need that you dare to go outside?" Blanche clasped her hands together and swallowed. "Uh, I need some chocolate..."

"Oh, a valentine's present? Tell me, dear, what do you need exactly?" The old woman lead them around in her small shop to a shelf and Blanche's heart dropped. "Oh dear, it seems that one is the only one left. You haven't been the first one today to buy chocolate." The woman grabbed the small package that contented nougat pralines.

But it wasn't exactly the chocolate she had wanted. Blanche bit her lip as she stared at the small box. It would never be enough to make a normal heart out of it. "We'll take it, do you have some cream left?" Tashigi didn't give up and as she held the nougat pralines and a package of cream in her hands, she discovered another box.

Chocolate flakes. She took that one, too. Blanche could just awe about how motivated her friend was. She would have given up in the dinner room. And before she even could say a goodbye to the friendly, old woman, Tashigi had already pulled her out of the store. "And now we'll get on chocolate producing!"

* * *

The kitchen was a mess. Chocolate flakes laid around in every corner, but both women didn't care. They were just in the end game. Tashigi wore the cook chef's apron and held the small pot that was halfway filled with a mixture of nougat, cream and the flakes.

It had resulted in an evenly creamy, light-brown stuff. It tasted kinda weird, but also... well, it was alright for the very first attempt. Blanche also hadn't found a heart-shaped form, the kitchen really contained any form but hearts.

And she hadn't wanted to ask Mari, she didn't need to know what they were doing. So star forms had to do for now. Blanche tried to ignore the gnawing feeling that this would end in one big catastrophe. Weird tasting chocolate, stars instead of valentine hearts?

At least it smelled fine. And in the end the pralines had managed to fill at least ten very small stars. "Don't you think it's... kinda even better than hearts? I mean, _everyone_ takes hearts." Tashigi licked off a chocolate covered spoon and frowned. "Okay, it tastes like a mix of... I can't describe, here, try."

Blanche tried the warm liquid and pursed her lips. One really couldn't say if it was some praline cream or chocolate or anything.

"He won't like it." She put the spoon down glared disappointed at the cooling down Valentine stars.

"I wouldn't say that, he probably never tried anything like this before. And they're not that bad, okay? I he doesn't like them, I'll eat them gladly." Tashigi instantly regretted the words as she saw her friend tearing up.

"But if he doesn't like them, I'll leave to Captain Hina..." She didn't want to change squads. But she would probably do when, no, _if_ he rejected her. It was all up to the stars now.

"No. You won't leave if he doesn't like the chocolate, you won't even leave if he turns you away. I won't let you leave, got it, Ensign Blanche?" With widened eyes Blanche just could nod. She hadn't thought that Tashigi would be so adamant about her staying. And about her trying to tell Captain Smoker what she felt. She was really a good friend, the best she'd ever have.

"Thank you, Tashigi.", she sniffled and wiped the small tear droplets away. She'd do this, now. Well, after the stars were solid. Blanche just pulled the lieutenant into a hug, as the kitchen's door opened.

At first she thought her heart would stop beating if it was Smoker, but to her relief it turned out to be a low officer who saluted as he saw the two superiors. His cap was pulled so low into his face that no eyes were seen. And he obviously didn't seem to mind the mess called kitchen, or the over-sentimental Ensign and lieutenant in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Lieutenant Tashigi! Captain Smoker requested your attendance in the office! And he said that you shouldn't be late, Miss!" Tashigi huffed, a bit offended, but she let go of Blanche. From now on it was her war to fight.

"Okay, put the stars in the refrigerator, let them cool down and get a nice package. But hurry up, I'll try to keep him in his office, so put the whole stuff in his room. Don't forget a sign with your name! 'Till later! Good luck, Blanche!" The dark-haired woman rushed out of the room, shoving the marine officer in front of her.

* * *

Blanche stared at the small package in her hands. It was not was a valentine's present should be, not at all. But she refused to panic as she pulled at the orange bow that was fixed on the green paper of the wrapping. The stars were still cold and safely stored in the wrapped up box so they wouldn't break. It was a wrinkled piece of _thing_.

Shouldn't be Valentine's presents red or pink, decorated with hearts in a perfectly done package? Blanche had formed the orange bow out of a piece of wool that she had found on the ground. And the green paper? It was the leftover of her last birthday aka it was a second-hand wrapping that had already seen a present. It was a shame, truly, but it was normal for a marine office.

And she couldn't just go out and by better stuff, it was late and Tashigi still occupied Smoker. So the Ensign scurried around in the base, avoiding each and every form of human life and whenever she couldn't, she had to hide the clotty package under her robes.

Smoker's room was deep in the basement, but as she had taken a shortcut through the men's toilet, she finally stood in the right aisle. She carefully opened the door that held a sign with justice and sneaked in. The sparsely decorated room just held a big bed, a wardrobe, a desk, a chair. A few plants on the window board. Blanche hushed to a small bin next to the bed and put the green box onto it.

A small paper with 'Happy Valentine's Day – Blanche' hung down from it, well legible. It was embarrassing enough as it was.

So she hurried to get back out of her superior's room, but before she even could think about what to do next, Smoker stood in the doorway.

And Blanche paled as the tall man towered over her. She swallowed and backed up a few steps as he attempted to walk forwards, his gray eyes fixed on hers. He was scarier than usual, his eyes were hard and... he didn't have any cigar lit on.

"May I ask what you're doing in my room, Blanche?" His rasp voice shredded the silence and she opened her mouth, but her heart thumped so loud and she couldn't find any words. Then his gaze fell behind her. Onto the green package.

"Uh... I ...it's not..!" Blanche's voice died as he abandoned her and strolled straight to the foreign box on his bin. She didn't dare to turn and watch him as he picked it up and regarded the thing. It didn't take him long until he grabbed her shoulder and made her look at him.

"What's that mean?", he asked and pointed at the present left on the wood. "It's chocolate -"

"I know, what's that mean?", he interrupted her and his eyes grew stern. She had to tell him. Now or never, right?

"I uh... it's for Valentine's day and..." Her voice again betrayed her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, close to tears once more. No, she couldn't possibly do this. He was her superior, what had she been thinking, just _what_?!

Blanche's eyes snapped back open as his lips covered hers and instinctively she tried to pull away, but he growled and grabbed both of her shoulders to keep her in place. He watched her reaction, she felt his gaze on her. And finally she kissed back, against those rough lips and she even let herself get pulled closer.

When he pulled away, he wrapped his arms around the Ensign instead and held her captured against his chest. She kept completely immobile, just waiting for his reaction.

"There are less cheesy ways to do a stunt like that.", he grumbled and Blanche was just glad that her face was pressed against his chest, so her blush wouldn't show. "You knew?", she just managed to get out. He snorted.

"We could have skipped this whole shit if I had. But I actually know the meanings of this chocolate stuff." Blanche was still confused. So he did know now, but what about him?

"Then what does it mean to you?", she asked quietly and he tightened his grip around her. "I suppose I just showed you. Or do I have to vocalize it for you?" Blanche shoved him and he let go.

"But then... why did you ignore me? Why didn't you just tell me, I wouldn't have-" Smoker interrupted her talk with another kiss, this time more aggressive than before.

"Hell, woman if I had known, I would've told you and now shut up. I got chocolate to eat." Blanche blushed once more and grew annoyed at herself. She usually never blushed. "Captain?", she began as he sunk down on his bed, ripping the paper off the present.

"I... I think I love you, Captain.", she murmured and let out a breath of relief as he raised an eyebrow in amusement and motioned for her to accompany him.

"Yes, I think that, too."

* * *

Happy Valentine's Day! 3 I wrote this just for Smoker, he gets not enough love, especially not on Valentine's Day. Maybe there'll be a 2nd chapter for White Day! Thank you for reading and review if you liked it!


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